The United Nations Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice Programme Network prepares for the 14th UN Crime Congress

The United Nations Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice Programme Network (PNI) consists of a number of interregional and regional institutes as well as specialized centres around the world, together with the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime. HEUNI is the European regional link in the network of institute. The network has been developed to assist the international community in strengthening co-operation in the crucial area of crime prevention and criminal justice. Its components provide a variety of services, including exchange of information, research, training and public education.

The PNI held a coordination meeting in Bangkok on 8 November, back-to-back with the first ASEAN Conference on Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice. The meeting was hosted by the newest member of the PNI, the Thailand Institute of Justice. As was the case with previous UN Crime Congresses, the PNI is actively involved in the preparations for the 14th UN Crime Congress, to be held in Japan in 2020. Among the issues to be discussed will undoubtedly by the “2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development", and in particular Goal 16, “Peace and Justice". The PNIs have traditionally assumed the responsibility for organizing the workshops in the Crime Congress. The theme, agenda items and workshop topics are to be decided by the United Nations Commission on Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice. Among the possible workshop topics are the assessment of implementation of the 2030 SDGs, crime prevention and criminal justice information, and public support for criminal justice policy.

The PNI is also developing a Knowledge Centre (under development at www.justiceknowledgecenter.org ). The purpose of the Knowledge Centre is to make publicly available information on crime prevention and criminal justice issues around the world. A new module that is under development is an ‘Expert Roster’, which will provide information on the areas of expertise of the PNI (and other entities) and the countries in which they are working.